Welcome to the StaffScapes Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and Employee Leasing Blog site.

This is my First Blog for our Professional Employer Organization blog site. I thought it would be good to give you a little detail about StaffScapes, Inc. and what we do as a PEO. StaffScapes is a human resource solution center based in Westminster, Colorado.  As a PEO StaffScapes is able to offer benefits and strengths that other companies cannot.  PEOs have become a popular answer for small- and medium-sized business owners’ day-to-day human-resource issues and StaffScapes has become a leading PEO in Colorado.

In 1996 StaffScapes was founded by Jim Thibodeau & Partners with a singular goal: to offer complete, comprehensive, and cost-effective payroll and human-resources solutions.  Issues such as payroll, taxes, workers’ compensation, employee benefits, human resources management, and employee discipline/discharge are all managed by the StaffScapes team of professionals.  This allows small- to medium-sized business owners to remove the obstacles created by continual paperwork to do what they do best – foster the growth of a productive business. 

Benefits of a PEO for your Business, for your Employees and for the Government

For your business, a PEO:

· Provides experienced professionals in HR, benefits, payroll and risk management.

· Assumes certain employment related liabilities.

· Delivers professional assistance with compliance (payroll, OSHA, EEOC).

· Provides secure Internet access to payroll, benefits and personnel data.

· Provides access to professional HR guidance and materials.

· Manages claims.

· Supplies clear, easy-to-read and professionally written employee handbooks, policies, procedures and practices.

· Improves cost control.

· Delivers access to better benefits.

· Reduces turnover.

· Provides quality benefits and recruiting assistance to attract and retain the best employees.

· Provides you more time to focus on your bottom line.

· Gives you the opportunity to grow your business faster.

For your employees, a PEO:

· Provides access to comprehensive benefits often previously unavailable - 401(k), Section 125 plan, comprehensive insurance benefits, Flexible Spending Plan.

· Delivers on-time and accurate payroll.

· Provides professional assistance with employment-related issues.

· Supplies easy-to-read employee handbooks, policies, procedures and practices.

· Enables more employees to receive statutory protection.

· Improves communication among and between employees.

· Offers up-to-date information on labor regulations, workers’ rights and worksite safety.

· Processes claims efficiently and responsively.

· Enables employees who move from one PEO client to another to avoid loss of eligibility for benefits.

· Provides improved access to payroll information, benefits, personnel data, vacation and sick time accrual, and specialized reports.

· May offer credit union membership and banking privileges.

· Frequently offers exclusive employee discounts and rates on travel, entertainment and services.

For government, a PEO:

· Consolidates several companies’ employment tax filings into one.

· Provides more professional preparation and reporting.

· Accelerates collection of taxes.

· Extends access to medical benefits to more workers.

· Provides access to 401(k) retirement savings opportunities to more employees.

· Improves the communication of government requirements and changes to small businesses and their employees.

· Reduces litigation by resolving many problems before they reach court.

· Allows government agencies to reach businesses through a single-employer entity.

From simple payroll processing to complex benefits and HR administration and risk management PEO’s will insure compliance.

As any employer knows, every day a new law, government regulation or rule that must be incorporated into a business. Keeping up with constantly changing legal aspect of being an employer has become a daily chore that diminishes your productivity. A Professional Employer Organization - (PEO) will keep you up to date with the most current and applicable state, local and federal laws. Threw a PEO co-employment agreement a PEO will ensure compliance with:

Federal and State labor laws

IRS Regulations

OSHA & COBRA

Federal & State labor Posters

American with Disabilities Act (ADA) & the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Allow a PEO to keep you current and legal is a great value added service for small employers. StaffScapes is capable and ready to assist your company with payroll outsourcing, human resources, employee benefits and workers compensation so that you can stay focused on expanding your business. Learn more about a PEO and the services they provide contact StaffScapes at 303-466-7864

Most PEO clients offer Health Insurance to their employees

A majority of small businesses that use a professional employer organization (PEO) offer health benefits to their employees.  More than 700 small businesses that use PEOs, responded to a recent survey commissioned by the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO).  The survey found that an unusually high percent (95%) of these businesses offer health benefits.  The survey also found that the majority of participants do not plan to raise the cost of these health benefits to the employee, even though average premiums rose 7.7% this year. 

Based on the results of this survey it appears that clients of PEOs deem health insurance to be a vital benefit to employees. Small businesses that use PEOs can reduce the time and cost burden of offering a healthcare plan by allowing the PEO to assume the administration of the plan.  PEOs also offer additional options to manage medical costs through health savings accounts (HSAs), health reimbursement accounts (HRAs), and flexible spending accounts (FSAs).

If you are interested in reducing the burden and cost of providing a health plan to your employees, contact a StaffScapes, Inc. representative to discuss the benefits of partnering with us. You can contact StaffScapes, Inc. at (303)466-7864 or info@staffscapes.com.

Small business employees trail in retirement savings and preparedness, survey shows

Small business employees are at a disadvantage when it comes to retirement savings, according to the results from the Eighth Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey.

StaffScapes, Inc. a Denver based PEO or Professional Employer Organization helps small businesses owners by providing them with all the tools to provide a 401k retirement program to their employees. By partnering with Transamerica StaffScapes has been able to allow small business owners the opportunity to have a full 401k program that they could not otherwise afford.  StaffScapes handles all the enrollment and fiduciary liability for its clients. Instead of worrying about the operation of a 401k plan the owner is better able to run his or her business.

For more information on 401k plans and employee benefit program contact StaffScapes, Inc.

See Also

• Eighth Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey
  Transamerica Survey Results

Majority of private employees have access to medical insurance.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently published their findings from the “National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2007” survey. The recent survey finds a large percentage (71%) of private industry workers have access to employer-sponsored medical care plans.  A smaller percentage of employees (52%) actually participate in the employer-sponsored plans.  The BLS collected a great deal of data concerning many different benefits provided to private industry employees.  With increased discussion regarding America’s uninsured individuals, of significant interest in the survey is access and participation of employees in medical insurance programs.   

The published results from the survey can be found on the BLS website at: www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/sp/ebsm0006.pdf.

With gas prices continuing to be high, it is making commuting to work a big concern for employees.

Here are some ways to help your employees feel like they haven’t been hit so hard.

• Offer more flexible work schedules. For example, many companies are allowing their employees to work for 10 hours a day, 4 days a week.
• If your operations allow, offer telecommuting. This will also save your company a little on utilities.  
• Help organize carpools and vanpools. Get employees excited by illustrating the money they could save throughout the year.
• Offer public transportation discounts.
• Reward your employee’s performance with a gas card.

By creating these benefits for employees you will help ease the burden of rising gas prices.

Source: Compensation.BLR.com, HR.BLR.com

Employees can receive $20 a month for commuting to work on their bikes.Under the  Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, also known as the bailout law provision, an employer may provide up to $20 tax free reimbursement a month to an employee for commuting to work on a bicycle. This provision, which was signed in on October 3, 2008, adds qualified bicycle commuting to the types of transportation fringe benefits that employers may provide to employees. The benefit will begin January 1, 2009.

See Also

• The StaffScapes Advantage
  Payroll Administration

Medicare D Credibility

Medicare Part D notice have been sent out to all employees participating in a medical plan administered by StaffScapes.  Notices are required to be sent out by November 15^th, 2008.  After determining Credible or NonCredible coverage notices are required to be sent to participants of the medical plan. 

For more information on Benefits Administration or Medicare D notices please contact the Benefits’ Department at StaffScapes, 303.466.7864.  StaffScapes can help with all your benefits needs and administration, we look forward to assisting you today.

See Also

• CMS -Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
  Additional Information

My old employer is no longer in business. How do I go about locating or finding that pension plan?

If you have a old pension plan and can not find your old employer contact the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to begin finding your retirement money. Include your name, address, phone number, date of birth and social security number. You will also need to know about your old employer and have information available. Items needed to identify that employer is, name, location, Federal ID number, and plan number. Search your records for any plan documents and plan numbers to better locate the plan. Contact:

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

Missing Participant Program

1200 k Street N.W.

Washington, DC 20005-4026

1-800-326-LOST

See Also

• Pension Benefit Guaranty Coporation
  PBGC Home

One benefit employers and employees have when working with a PEO is credit Union membership.

The credit unions that StaffScapes provides has a benefit to it’s employees is Community Financial Credit Union. When I logged on I noticed that they are providing holiday loans in place of using a more expensive credit this season. It may be to late to get the loan for gifts but it could be a good tool to use to pay of the higher interest rate credit cards.  More information is below for members and to join just bring in your StaffScapes payroll check and join.

Still time to get an affordable Holiday Loan

Did the holidays creep up on you this year? Need some cash for gifts? Unfortunately, money doesn’t grow on the holiday tree. But, Community Financial Credit Union can help.

Consider a Holiday Loan before you charge up your high-rate credit cards. You’ll save money and the loan will be paid off within a year. The Holiday Loan features a fixed rate as low as 7.99% APR* with terms starting at 12 months. Members may apply in person, over the phone, or online.

See Also

• Community Financial Credit Union
  home page

StaffScapes Supplemental Benefits

StaffScapes is excited to announce there is no increases to the supplemental insurance rates for 2009.  Open enrollment is the month of May with an effective coverage date of June 1, 2009.  As a co-employee of StaffScapes, there are several exciting opporunites available to you and your family.

• 2 types of Dental programs
• Vision services
• Life Insurance
• AFLAC products
• 401K options

Save money with the pre-taxed options available.  Contact StaffScapes’ Benefits Department today at 303-466-7864 for more information and to get your benefits packet today.

StaffScapes Supplemental Benefits

StaffScapes is excited to announce there is no increases to the supplemental insurance rates for 2009.  Open enrollment is the month of May with an effective coverage date of June 1, 2009.  As a co-employee of StaffScapes, there are several exciting opporunites available to you and your family.

• 2 types of Dental programs
• Vision services
• Life Insurance
• AFLAC products
• 401K options

Save money with the pre-taxed options available.  Contact StaffScapes’ Benefits Department today at 303-466-7864 for more information and to get your benefits packet today.

The IRS has amended it’s rules on Safe Harbor contributions to allow employers to terminate the match during these hard times.On May 18 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published proposed regulations that could provide relief to employers whose plans provide for safe harbor non-elective contributions. The relief allows employers to amend their plan to reduce or suspend future safe harbor non-elective contributions without terminating the plan if the employer is encountering a "substantial business hardship" (as set forth in certain criteria established by the IRS). While the suspension of employer contributions may potentially have an impact on employee morale and the perception of the employer’s benefits program by potential employees, employers who meet the criteria may find that these regulations provide welcome and necessary relief from future safe harbor non-elective contribution funding requirements and a viable alternative to terminating the plan.